Last Updated On May 26th, 2022
Cooking rice can often take a lot of time when done on the stove and if you don’t watch it carefully and add just the right amount of water, it can easily burn or stick to the pan. Fortunately, rice cookers make this task significantly easier. With some rice cookers, all you have to do is hit a button and forget it until its done, it’s great! That’s why we sifted through countless products and reviews to find the best rice cooker in the UK that stores have to offer. Our top 10 list, followed by a buyer’s guide, should give you all the information you need to find the perfect rice cooker for you.
The Tefal RK302E15 Multi Cooker is a fantastic home rice cooker because of the excellent quality it provides. This multi cooker has a large capacity of 5 litres and can cook up to 21 cups of rice at one time.
This 8 in 1 multi cooker features an easy to read digital display with, you guessed it, 8 different settings: quick rice, white rice, brown rice, dessert, grains, porridge, slow cooking, and steaming. In addition, this Tefal cooker also sports a delayed start button and a keep warm button to make cooking and even planning ahead for dinner as easy as possible.
The Tefal RK302E15 consists of a removable bowl, a hinged plastic lid, a base with a stainless steel finish, and a convenient carrying handle. You can not see inside the pot through the lid but that’s manageable, as long as it produces perfectly cooked rice every time.
A small recipe booklet, spoon, measuring cup, and steam basket are all included with the purchase of this multi cooker. The additional steaming tray adds yet again to this multi cooker’s versatility by allowing you to cook 2 separate foods simultaneously.
Cleaning this multi cooker would be a little bit easier if the lid was completely removable but we are willing to overlook that with this particular product because of the other luxury features. Besides, the removable bowl is nonstick and easy-to-clean and can also go in the dishwasher for extra versatility.
The Yum Asia Panda Mini Rice Cooker is our seventh pick for the best rice cooker. This mini rice cooker with timer has a capacity of 0.63 litres or 3.5 cups of uncooked rice. While this rice cooker may be small, it offers a lot in the way of quality and performance resulting from its intuitive fuzzy logic technology.
The Yum Asia Panda Mini rice cooker has an intelligent digital display that features fuzzy logic technology to ensure that perfectly cooked food is produced every time. There are 6 preset cook settings: long grain rice, short grain rice, quick cook rice, brown rice, cake, porridge, steam, and slow cook. In addition, this mini cooker also has a keep warm setting and a way to change the cooking time in small increments.
This small rice cooker consists of a hard plastic shell with an opaque hinged top and a high quality five-layer inner bowl that is coated with 2mm thick ninja ceramic to ensure your rice is cooked evenly each time. When it comes to cooking rice, Yum Asia Panda seriously knows what they are doing, just add water and let the fuzzy logic work its magic. In addition to the cooker, this product also comes with a soup ladle, a rice spatula, a measuring cup, and a steaming basket in case you want to make more than one food item at a time.
All of the extra accessories and the inner ceramic bowl on this rice cooker can be washed in the dishwasher, or by hand if you prefer doing it that way. To clean the outer shell simple wipe down with a damp rag. With this product, it is important to consider that some people have reported a strange odour on unpackaging so it’s best to give it a good scrub before your first use.
The Sistema Microwave Rice Cooker is the best cheap rice cooker on our list. This cooker has a 2.6 litre capacity that cooks up to 11 cups of rice at a time.
As far as settings are concerned, there may be a steep learning curve with this cooker because you will have to rely on and determine how to use the settings on your specific microwave as there are no settings on the Sistema itself. However, once that is sorted you can expect wonderfully cooked rice, without the need for a new appliance.
The Sistema rice cooker consists of a rice steamer bowl, a pressure chamber tray, a cool touch lid with easy lift Sistema KLIP IT tabs, and a nonstick rice spoon. The lid also features steam release vents for splatter free cooking inside the microwave. We aren’t sure how you feel about it, but we hate cleaning the inside of the microwave so this is a big perk as far as we are concerned.
The entire Sistema microwave rice cooker is top-rack dishwasher safe as well as freezer safe, too. This makes it almost effortless to clean as well as super easy to store your leftovers; no need to transfer your cooked food to another container.
One of the only obvious setbacks of this product is that you need to own a large microwave to be able to use it and, due to the method of cooking, there have been reports of inconsistent cooking which could be resolved by regularly stirring your rice throughout the process.
The Joseph Joseph 45002 M-Cuisine rice cooker is our number one choice for the best microwave rice cooker. This rice cooker has a capacity of 2 litres, or 8.5 cups, so it is perfect whether you are cooking for yourself or other people.
The Joseph Joseph rice cooker leaves the rice cooking process to your microwave. This means there are no settings on the cooking pot itself. The entire Joseph Joseph cooker is made from thick, BPA free, cool to the touch plastic that is dishwasher safe. It comes with a colander to placed inside and a rice paddle that doubles as a handle for the cooker when locked in place on top of the lid.
The internal colander, as opposed to a solid bowl, inside the rice cooker, is what makes all of the difference with this product. The colander enables better steaming and facilitates a more even cooking process which leaves you with fluffy, perfect rice.
One downfall, however, is that there is no handle on the lid itself. This makes removing it difficult after cooking, especially if you consider the large amount of steam that is built up inside.
The Reishunger Rice Cooker and Steamer is next in our list of the best rice cookers. It has a 1.2 litre or 6.5 cups of uncooked rice capacity and has a minimalistic design.
The Reishunger rice cooker features only two settings: cook and the keep warm function. There’s not a lot to choose from but it’s simple and effective.
We chose the Reishunger for our best rice cookers list because it features a double nonstick coating on the inner bowl which makes it easy to clean. Additionally, it has a glass cover which you already know is a plus. However, the glass cover is hinged which hinders the cleaning process slightly.
Like many of the other models of rice cookers on our best-of list, this rice cooker comes with a measuring cup and a rice spatula. One thing we found misleading about this product is the way it has been advertised as a German product when it is not. This isn’t enough for us to turn you away from the product as it still is able to cook rice but if you are looking for German products you will need to continue your search. Additionally, you may find its capacity to cook different kinds of rice to be limited as it is said to be best used for white and basmati rice, and even then there have been reports of rice sticking to the bottom if you don’t keep an eye on it.
The Quest 35530 Rice Cooker is next on our list. This rice cooking pot has a 0.8-litre capacity to make enough rice for a single person, a couple or a small family. It is easy to serve rice from this cooker, as well, as it features a removable, non-stick bowl.
The Quest 35530 has a white base, a removable inner bowl, and a glass lid. The cooker also comes with one measuring cup and spatula for stirring rice. We really like that the entire lid is clear glass so you can easily monitor and check on your cooking food without disturbing the cooking process occurring inside.
The 0.8 litre rice bowl is non-stick and fully detachable from the cooking unit. Furthermore, the machine has a keep warm function so that even if you’re not quite ready with the rest of your meal, your rice won’t go cold.
On the downside, some users have reported that unless you wash the rice thoroughly, it gets stuck to the bottom of the pot.
The Geepas Rice Cooker is the eighth pick on our best rice cookers list. This rice cooker has a smaller 0.6L capacity and features a basic, user-friendly design.
The Geepas electric rice cooker has three different settings on one switch: keep warm, steam, and cook. This rice cooker is nothing fancy but it is easy to use, comes with a two year warranty, and makes great rice which is why it made our list.
This rice cooker consists of a removable tempered glass top, a nonstick coated inner pot with a stainless steel rim, and a hard plastic shell. As we have mentioned before, we really like the removable glass top for cleaning and monitoring the food’s progress without releasing the steam.
When it comes to cleaning, the Geepas cover and inner bowl can be washed in the dishwasher, however, the nonstick coating on the bowl is highly effective and can even be wiped down or rinsed under running water for easy cleaning. The Geepas rice cooker also comes with a measuring cup and spoon but don’t expect much out of the quality.
The Wahl James Martin Multi Cooker is the final pick on our best rice cookers list but that doesn’t mean you should overlook it. This rice cooker is one of our larger models with an oversized 4-litre capacity which makes it great for a family or entertaining guests.
The Wahl James Martin cooker features a digital display that is easy to read and has several settings: white rice, brown rice, 24-hour timer delay, dessert, saute, stew, steam, and the all-important keep warm function. This is both a rice cooker and a pressure cooker. Unfortunately, there is not an automatic shutoff that senses when your food is ready so make sure you set a timer with this one.
The outer shell of this rice cooker is brushed steel and can easily be wiped down with a damp towel or sponge but should not go in the dishwasher. The cover is, unfortunately, opaque and hinged which makes cleaning and food monitoring more difficult. However, the inner bowl is nonstick and dishwasher safe so clean up won’t be too difficult.
Wahl James Martin rice cookers come with a handy recipe booklet to give you some new culinary ideas for your new machine but do not come with a measuring cup or rice spatula like many of the other products we have featured on our list.
The Clever Chef 14 in 1 Multi Cooker by Drew & Cole is the last but not the least in our best rice cookers list. It has a 3-litre capacity that holds up to 12.5 cups of food making it a good choice for a family.
The Clever Chef multi cooker features 17 intuitive food preparation settings on its easy to use digital display: steam, stew, poach, bread rise, soup, roast, bake, saute/brown, fish, all types of rice, pasta, slow cook (high and low), yoghurt, and a customizable DIY. The slow cook button on low also doubles as a keep warm function but if you want to fine-tune the temperature or the time, separate buttons exist for that as well. Lastly, the Clever Chef also has a handy 24-hour delay function.
This multi-cooker consists of brushed aluminium with a hinged lid and a removable inner pot. The hinged lid has a small window for viewing the food while it is cooking without compromising the steaming action inside.
Cleaning the main pot on this rice cooker is easy with the nonstick coating. In most cases, you should be able to simply wipe down the pot but just in case, it’s also dishwasher safe or can be washed in warm water. However, this is made harder by the fact that the lid is not removable. Finally, some of the sizes on the sales page have been said to be misleading, with people receiving products that were different sizes to what they expected.
You have reached the end of our product reviews for the best rice cookers in the UK but maybe you still have a few questions? The following sections will explain how we chose the rice cookers on our list and what traits you should look for and prioritise based on your own specific needs and preferences.
We all know there is more than one way to cook rice but why are rice cookers so popular? It seems like everyone has one and by now you probably want one, so what’s all the hype about?
First, they are designed to be super convenient. Just add water, press one or two buttons, and voila!
Second, rice cookers often cook rice more evenly and consistently throughout due to the pressurised and controlled environment that you get with a lid that locks in place, as opposed to resting on top like with a pot on the stove.
Third, they often have a function to automatically shut off when the rice is ready, reducing the risk of overcooking or burning the rice.
Fourth, many rice cookers have preset cook settings that already know how long to cook different types of rice and other foods as well. The higher quality rice cooker you get, the more settings you can expect, generally.
Fifth, rice cookers can often cook rice faster. Some models even have a rapid cook option.
Lastly, many rice cookers also have handy functions such as a delayed start button that can be set up to 24 hours in advance as well as a keep warm or slow cook function.
Rice cookers work the same way a steamer does. Once you turn the rice cooker on a heating plate inside the machine, usually under the inner bowl, starts to heat up and build pressure within the cooking chamber. Once it gets hot enough the water in the bottom of the bowl will start to boil and create steam that cooks the rice, or other foods inside ensuring an even finish. The steam then builds up like a sauna inside and cooks the food by way of heat and vapour. This also explains why a large amount of steam escapes when you open a rice cooker after the cooking process is complete.
This method of cooking food helps preserve as many nutrients as possible and is considered a healthier way to cook your food, especially when preparing vegetables.
When it comes to an electric or microwave cooker, rice is a good way to test its capabilities because of how fragile the cooking process and measurements can be. Both microwave and an electric rice cooker can do a great job but there are a few key differences. Microwave versions are often cheaper because they don’t require any technology and are often considered small rice cookers because they have to fit inside your microwave. They also don’t have extended settings such as the keep warm function.
Electric cookers don’t require additional equipment, like a microwave, unless you count a wall socket. They tend to be larger with greater food capacity and also can come with more specific settings that cater directly to varying types of rice. Electric rice cookers also have delayed start functions and keep warm functions which can be rather handy. One drawback to an electric rice cooker is the need for additional storage space once acquired, unless of course you simply want to keep it on your kitchen counter.
Rice cookers vary greatly in size. A small rice cooker may only be able to accommodate one or two cups of food at a time whereas a large rice cooker can hold as many as 5 litres. When determining which rice cooker is right for you, make sure to choose one that will accommodate your cooking and spatial needs at home. Do you primarily cook for just yourself? Or, do you cook for a large family or entertain guests frequently? Do you have enough storage space for a larger rice cooker in your kitchen, either on the counter or in a cabinet or pantry?
When it comes to cleaning appliances, it is important that it be easy. If you are like us, a difficult clean up is enough to make us not want to use a particular cooking appliance at all. When it comes to rice cookers, a removable inner bowl is key and almost all of the versions available come with this trait, all of the ones on our list do at least. Additionally, having a nonstick coating on the inner cooking bowl can also go a long way, particularly when cooking rice which tends to be sticky. A removable lid, not one connected by hinges also makes a rice cooker easy to clean. A hinged lid isn’t a deal-breaker for most people but it is something to think about. Lastly, the easiest rice cookers to clean will have dishwasher safe components because nothing is easier than putting it in the dishwasher.
In addition to how easy a rice cooker is to clean, you probably want the controls on your new machine to be user friendly as well. While some rice cookers have an easy to read LED display, others have only a button or two to manage all of their functions. Most rice cooker settings are easy enough to learn but if you don’t plan on using it frequently, and it is not self-explanatory, you could find yourself relearning how to execute the functions correctly every time you pull it out of storage.
This concludes our reviews of the best rice cooker in the UK. Depending on what you need and how much space you have in your kitchen, all of the above rice cookers are a great choice. However, if you’re unable to decide, we would recommend the Tefal RK302E15.
This Tefal multi-cooker is our number one pick because it’s an excellent rice cooker for large families and hosts multiple functions that make preparing other dishes easy. You can slow cook, steam, and create mouth-watering desserts with this 5-litre cooker. It’s also equipped with delayed start and keep-warm settings, which you can access in the user-friendly control panel.
Featuring a stainless steel finish, this cooker set comes with dishwasher-safe accessories such as a non-stick coated bowl, a steam basket, a rice spoon, and a measuring cup. You’ll also find its carrying handle quite handy when moving the pot from one place to another.
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